the agreement takes effect on sunday — just a day before donald trump is sworn in as us president for the second time. and both he and joe biden are claiming credit for the deal. the ceasefire is just phase one of the agreement. president biden said phase two would be the permanent end to the war. the gulf nation of qatar has hosted negotiations throughout the war, and it was the qatari prime minister who confirmed the ceasefire agreement. translation: it gives us great pleasure in qatar, l egypt and the united states to announce the success of the joint mediation efforts and the fact that the two belligerents in the gaza strip have reached a deal on the prisoner and the hostage swap, and announced a ceasefire in the hopes of reaching

a permanent ceasefire between the two sides, as well as allowing the access of large quantities of relief aid to the palestinian brothers in the gaza strip. first off, i would like to thank our partners in the arab republic of egypt, the united states of america. notably, the envoy to the middle east of the president elect, steve witkoff, as well as the mena coordinator at the us national security council, mr brett mcgurk, for their efforts that contributed to push these negotiations forward and reach this deal. i would also like to express my deepest thanks and gratitude to our brothers from the arab republic of egypt and his excellency, the minister, hasan rashad, who have contributed and made serious efforts in collaboration with their qatari partners in order to make this deal a success. with the approval of both sides

and the negotiators on this deal, in order to finalise all executive measures for tonight, and after that, we will be taking all the internal measures. the israeli government will be taking the internal measures, after which the agreement will enter into effect on sunday, january 19th. speaking shortly after the qatari prime minister — us presidentjoe biden hailed the agreement as a chance for a new future across the middle east. this deal was developed and negotiated under my administration, but its terms will be implemented for the most part by the next administration. in these past few days, we've been speaking as one team. this has been a time of real turmoil in the middle east.

but as i prepare to leave office, ourfriends are strong, our enemies are weak, and there is a genuine opportunity for a new future. in lebanon, there is an opportunity for a future free from the grip of hezbollah. in syria, a future free from the tyranny of assad and for the palestinian people, a credible, a credible pathway to a state of their own. and for the region, a future of normalisation and integration of israel and all its arab neighbours, including saudi arabia. presidentjoe biden there in the white house, welcoming that agreement. in the last few hours, we've been getting these the deal outlines an initial six—week phase — that includes the gradual withdrawal of israeli forces from central gaza and the return of displaced palestinians to northern gaza. the deal also reportedly requires 600 truckloads

of humanitarian aid to be allowed into gaza each day of the ceasefire. hamas is to release 33 israeli hostages, including all women, children, and men aged over 50. they are to be released over the six week period with at least three per week. in turn, israel will release 30 palestinian detainees for every civilian hostage, and 50 palestinian detainees for every female soldier released by hamas. israel is also to release all palestinian girls under 19 by the end of the first six week phase. negotiations over a second phase of the agreement will begin by the sixteenth day of the first phase, and is expected to include a permanent ceasefire, and the complete withdrawal of israeli soldiers from gaza. a third phase is then expected to include the return of all remaining dead bodies

and the start of gaza's reconstruction. it's a 3—phase plan, a long way to go. let's rejoin mark loewen injerusalem. three phases and a lot that potentially could go wrong. a lot that potentially could go wronu. . . ~' wrong. yeah, and i think in this phased _ wrong. yeah, and i think in this phased cease-fire - wrong. yeah, and i think in this phased cease-fire plan this phased cease—fire plan what they've done, ben, is push some off the thorniest longer—term decisions over the future of gaza into the future, into the negotiations that would begin for phase two, in orderfor the guns to order for the guns to fall silent now as of sunday and for some hostages to come back and some hostages to come back and some prisoners to be released immediately to show that they can actually work together. so, you know, there is obviously a great deal of relief for many of the hostage families,

although many others feel that actually, this has come far too late and you know, that all of the hostages should have been released in one go. 0bviously released in one go. obviously there will be a lot of relief for palestinians in gaza, going back to their homes. but there is, you know, trepidation and apprehension about the hurdles that there are still in the weeks ahead, and going into phase two and certainly in terms of a longer—term future for gaza, and who would run gaza, and what sort of security guarantees israel could have to ensure that there is no repeat of the disaster of the 7th of october which was of course the 0ctober which was of course the worst attack in israel cosmic history. worst attack in israel cosmic histo . ., ., worst attack in israel cosmic histo . ., ~' history. how do you think israelis will _ history. how do you think israelis will see _ history. how do you think israelis will see this - israelis will see this agreement? will they see this is a great victory for benjamin netanyahu and his government or a defeat for them in some ways? many might say this was a deal he could've agreed to months and months ago.— he could've agreed to months and months ago. yeah, joe biden made that very — and months ago. yeah, joe biden made that very clear _ and months ago. yeah, joe biden made that very clear that - and months ago. yeah, joe biden made that very clear that this - made that very clear that this was the deal that he laid the

precise contours of this deal in may and yet it has taken eight months to come to be signed and obviously the environment has changed very much since then in terms of hamas being severely weakened and hamas�*allies in the region being weakened. the trump administration coming in with the rhetoric that has sort of change the calculus to some extent. and yet, there is a lot of frustration clearly from benjamin netanyahu's components here, that this is 15 months of this devastation have been wrought on gaza, that you know, hostages, so many of them still remain there. 98 hostages are still not back and that is a deep festering wound in an israeli society. a few months ago we would have been talking about it would be very unlikely benjamin netanyahu could have survived all this, but today he is climbed back up in the opinion polls. he's got the

destruction of hezbollah's leadership, hamas'leadership, it looks like he's going to get most of the back, some of them have been cleared. it's going to be tough to survive for benjamin netanyahu. after15 months of — benjamin netanyahu. after15 months of work, _ benjamin netanyahu. after15 months of work, finally - benjamin netanyahu. after15 months of work, finally the i months of work, finally the deal is hundreds of truckloads of humanitarian aid going into gaza, that is so desperately needed. ~ , gaza, that is so desperately needed. , ., gaza, that is so desperately needed. ~ , . . needed. absolutely vital, and . iven needed. absolutely vital, and civen the needed. absolutely vital, and given the fact _ needed. absolutely vital, and given the fact that _ needed. absolutely vital, and given the fact that before - needed. absolutely vital, and given the fact that before the | given the fact that before the war, 3000 trucks a day were getting into gaza, and that has slowed to sometimes just a dozen or so trucks a day getting in, infact dozen or so trucks a day getting in, in fact in some days there were no trucks at all getting into gaza. and humanitarian leads on the ground are absolutely disastrous. a few months ago there were reports of people having to resort to eating animal feed, having to resort to eating animalfeed, grass, massive animal feed, grass, massive outbreaks

animalfeed, grass, massive outbreaks of hunger and about a third of the population of gaza was facing catastrophic hunger. so the medical facilities there are on their knees, what remains of them. the few medical facilities that are still operating, so is absolutely, it's absolutely urgent to get the humanitarian aid surging an end that will be starting as of sunday and that will be, you know, not a minute too soon. but you know, once again, there continues to be a point of friction here because the israelis say it is not israel that has been holding off the humanitarian trucks going into gaza, it has been hamas on the grounds siphoning aid and preventing trucks getting through. but that was not bought by israel's allies and other countries around the world. , ., ., world. here in the studio, i am “oined world. here in the studio, i am joined by _ with me now is husam zomlot, head of the palestinian mission to the uk.

finally we have this hostage release and cease—fire agreement, what is your reaction to the news? �*iex agreement, what is your reaction to the news? 15 months too late, the _ reaction to the news? 15 months too late, the suffering, - reaction to the news? 15 months too late, the suffering, the - too late, the suffering, the pain, human loss is immense. it will only be now replaced with a period of grief, and now the period of healing, tending to our wounded, taking out people from the rubble for months and months, even by animals and dogs... is months, even by animals and dos... , , ., months, even by animals and dos... , _, ., dogs... is this an agreement ou dogs... is this an agreement you think — dogs... is this an agreement you think will _ dogs... is this an agreement you think will work? - dogs... is this an agreement you think will work? we've l you think will work? we've heard some of the specific details about what is in it, these three phases, are you confident it can be successful? if we manage to garner sufficient political will to enforce it on netanyahu, it will. and what happened tonight proves it is already in the court of the international community. you saw when the international community with the us and the rest have exerted pressure of the

genocide ended.- exerted pressure of the genocide ended. why do you think we've _ genocide ended. why do you think we've had _ genocide ended. why do you think we've had this - genocide ended. why do you i think we've had this agreement now, at the end of thejoe biden presidencyjust before donald trump comes in? because joe biden said he proposed all of this back in may, months and months ago, why has it taken so long was mark because all of it is —— all of a sudden, all stars aligned. is -- all of a sudden, all stars aligned.- is -- all of a sudden, all stars aligned. including both sides of the _ stars aligned. including both sides of the us, _ stars aligned. including both sides of the us, current - sides of the us, current administration and incoming. but also the palestinian contenders. now the main issue is not how it happened, the main issue is how do we learn the lessons. and the main issue is that we shall never, ever go back to the 6th of october. from now on of course we must provide immediately to desperate unprecedented human suffering, our children were dying because of the weather, they were freezing, this is unprecedented in human history, the starvation and what have you. and people now everybody is talking about people going back to their homes. what homes? more than 70% of homes

in gaza have been destroyed, all livelihoods and infrastructure. it would be a heinous task of actually bringing back life to gaza. yet from there, we moved to a perching root cause of all this. we must understand that a status quo is a disaster. we have got to find out a path from a very clear path, but the state of palestine, that should be the representative of the unity of the palestinian people, the unity of the land of the palestinian people, and the unity of the political system takes hold. servants, people, and we move swiftly towards liberation and independence. in line with all the international concerns as we know. the international concerns as we know— the international concerns as we know-— the international concerns as we know. on that, then, who runs gaza _ we know. on that, then, who runs gaza in _ we know. on that, then, who runs gaza in the _ we know. on that, then, who runs gaza in the future? - we know. on that, then, who| runs gaza in the future? what is the postwar gaza? what does it look like? is is the postwar gaza? what does it look like?— it look like? is run by hamas? frankl , it look like? is run by hamas? frankly. ben. _ it look like? is run by hamas? frankly, ben, i— it look like? is run by hamas? frankly, ben, i don't- it look like? is run by hamas? frankly, ben, i don't think - frankly, ben, i don't think this question should ever be asked because the palestinian people have their institutions.

we have the state of palestine, recognised by the vast majority of the world, it has a seat in the un. i represented here, the state of palestine has its legitimate government. but i think it's a — legitimate government. but i think it's a legitimate - think it's a legitimate question to ask what role. it's a legitimate question to ask what role does have mass have in the future of gaza? it is what role does have mass have in the future of gaza?— in the future of gaza? it is a olitical in the future of gaza? it is a political faction, _ in the future of gaza? it is a political faction, and - in the future of gaza? it is a political faction, and we - in the future of gaza? it is a l politicalfaction, and we have many political factions. politicalfaction, and we have many politicalfactions. it politicalfaction, and we have many political factions. it was a faction that _ many political factions. it was a faction that ran _ many political factions. it was a faction that ran gaza - many political factions. it was a faction that ran gaza and . a faction that ran gaza and launched 0ctober a faction that ran gaza and launched october 7. it a faction that ran gaza and launched october 7.- a faction that ran gaza and launched october 7. it is only the government _ launched october 7. it is only the government of— launched october 7. it is only the government of the - launched october 7. it is only the government of the state | launched october 7. it is only i the government of the state of palestine that is in charge of gaza, there was bank in jerusalem as one unit value of our people united people end of our people united people end of our political system, and there will be no other alternatives. but us to take over and make sure we provide for our people. we have an address, and the palestinian people can only look to that address and if you ask our people in gaza, the

only one, the national government and they do not want anyone else to mediate in our internal affairs.— internal affairs. having said that, of course, _ internal affairs. having said that, of course, as - internal affairs. having said that, of course, as you - internal affairs. having said | that, of course, as you have said, gaza is almost completely destroyed. the destruction is extraordinary. it's going to take an enormous international effort, isn't it, to rebuild and reconstruct gaza. what do you thinkjuan from the international community in those terms? to international community in those terms? ., ., those terms? to immediately and swiftly help _ those terms? to immediately and swiftly help the — those terms? to immediately and swiftly help the palestinian - swiftly help the palestinian government to undertake its responsibility. will for immediately relief, beginning of rebuilding come of the makeshift hospitals, the makeshift hospitals, the makeshift schools, the makeshift schools, the makeshift houses and a long—term plan to bring back gaza long—term plan to bring back